The city bus fare is $0.40 for adults, or $0.30 when using a personalized bus card. Senior citizens with a cédula (Ecuadorian national identity card) qualify for a reduced fare of $0.15.
Buses do not accept cash.strong> You must pay using a rechargeable bus card, which you tap on the card reader when boarding.
We have two rechargeable bus cards available for you to use during your stay. If you are traveling with more than two people, don't worry—multiple passengers can use the same card. Simply tap the card on the reader once for each passenger. Please return both bus cards at the end of your stay.
If you need additional cards, you can purchase them at many farmacias (pharmacies) and other locations displaying a sign with a picture of the bus card and the words “Tarjeta Prepago” (prepaid card). Each card costs $1.75 and can be loaded with whatever amount you choose.
The condominium is ideally located for getting around Cuenca, with easy access to many of the city's bus routes.
Many buses run along Calle Larga, right in front of the condominium. There are bus stops about one block away in either direction. However, for a couple of routes, you'll need to walk two blocks to the intersection of Calle Larga and Tarqui.
You can also catch several other bus routes just across the river, behind the condominium, on Avenida 12 de Abril. To get there, take the ramp down from Calle Larga or exit through the condominium's rear entrance, then cross the bridge to reach the bus stops.
Bus stops near the condominium:
Note: The asterisks indicate that routes 8 and 12 stop at the intersection of Tarqui and Calle Larga.
The interactive bus map provided by Alternatur is a very useful tool for navigating Cuenca’s bus system. It is easier to use than the official government maps described below. Alternatur also offers an interactive bus map app for Android phones.
http://www.alternatur-cuenca.com/bus-map.html
The map offers several helpful features:
Below are links to the official government bus maps available online. If you plan to use these maps, I recommend downloading and saving the files to your computer in advance, as they can take an exceptionally long time to load over the internet.
You can zoom in to enlarge the maps and view individual sections of each bus route for easier navigation.
https://www.cuenca.gob.ec/system/files/RECORRIDOLINEASTRANSPORTEFINAL.pdf
The link below provides two maps, each showing approximately half of the city’s bus routes. Unfortunately, the maps have limited zoom capabilities, making it difficult to enlarge them for a closer look.